Harold at a glance
- Meaning
- “army ruler”
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- Old English
- Pronunciation
- HARR-uld
- Nicknames
- Harry, Hal
- Other forms
- Harald, Haraldur, Aroldo
Where the name Harold comes from
Harold comes from Old English words for “army” and “power”; the Old Norse name Haraldr has the same parts. King Harold II was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, and he died at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The name was rare for centuries but came back in the 19th century.